Looking at the Great Zhou’s troop mobilization, it seemed they were truly serious, determined to destroy Yan.

When Murong Li saw the news, though shocked that Great Zhou had assembled such massive forces to attack Yan in such a short time, he knew this was also within reason.

He remained silent for a long while, then ordered someone to send this news to Ren Shijie and the others, so they could be prepared when negotiating with Great Zhou.

Before the Bai family sister had become emperor, he had witnessed how united the Bai sisters were. He had also heard of how harmonious the Bai brothers and sisters were.

He only hoped that Ren Shijie and the others could meet the Bai family sister quickly and settle the ceasefire, whether through vassalage or submission, anything to make life better for the common people as soon as possible.

Though he didn’t want to be a fallen nation’s ruler, Yan’s accumulated problems were too deep to remedy. Unless time could flow backward, there was no way to reverse Heaven’s will.

In the third year of Yuanhe, on the thirteenth day of the third month, Yan’s envoys met the Great Zhou Emperor in Dengfeng City, bowing their heads to seek peace.

Bai Jinzhi, dressed in battle armor, stood with hands behind her back outside the military camp, waiting for the Yan envoys. She had originally thought her brother-in-law Xiao Rongyan would come, but unexpectedly it wasn’t him. However… it could be considered an old acquaintance…

Though it was March, the spring chill was still biting.

As soon as the Yan envoys stepped down from their carriage, they felt the oncoming cold and couldn’t help but pull their cloaks tighter. Seeing Prince Gaoyi in battle armor standing upright with hands behind her back, seemingly unaffected by the cold, they loosened their grip on their cloaks and straightened their backs.

Seeing Ren Shijie descend from the carriage, Bai Jinzhi’s expression only turned cold for an instant before she smiled and cupped her hands toward him: “Master Ren, I trust you’ve been well.”

Ren Shijie hadn’t forgotten that when Prince Gaoyi had been assigned to guard him, she had completely forgotten about him, nearly starving him to death!

Ren Shijie bowed to Bai Jinzhi, performing a deep bow: “Greetings to Prince Gaoyi. It’s rare that Prince Gaoyi still remembers such an insignificant person as me.”

After straightening up, he smiled and said to Bai Jinzhi: “Prince Gaoyi has grown quite a bit taller.”

“Now that Master Ren is a Yan envoy, I wonder what official position you hold in Yan?” Bai Jinzhi stood with her hands behind her back, looking at Ren Shijie.

The Yan Minister of Revenue quickly stepped forward and, after bowing to Bai Jinzhi, said: “Prince Gaoyi, though Master Ren has not yet taken an official position in Yan, he is still a guest minister to our king.”

Bai Jinzhi raised her eyebrows, thinking… this Yan Minister of Revenue was quite protective of his own. She had merely asked a casual question in conversation with Ren Shijie, yet this Minister of Revenue seemed to think she was humiliating Ren Shijie.

Bai Jinzhi didn’t waste words with this Yan Minister of Revenue. She remembered that this man had been tricked by Fan Yugan during previous negotiations with the Great Zhou, so he probably wasn’t too sharp-witted. She didn’t take him seriously and instead formally stepped aside with a gesture of invitation: “Yan envoys, please…”

The three Yan envoys followed behind Bai Jinzhi into the royal tent where Bai Qingyan was located.

Inside the royal tent hung a landscape painting screen, behind which the Great Zhou Emperor’s silhouette could be vaguely seen.

Bai Qingjue knelt below the screen, smiling as he spoke slowly: “Please forgive us, three Yan envoys. Your nation’s Prince Xiping set an ambush without issuing a declaration of war, using forces five times the size of our Great Zhou army, intending to kill our Great Zhou Emperor. Though our Great Zhou elite soldiers sacrificed their lives to protect His Majesty, His Majesty was still injured—an arrow pierced through his arm, and his leg was nearly severed. Unable to sit properly to receive you, we can only meet through this screen. Please forgive us, three Yan envoys!”

The three Yan envoys—the Minister of Revenue and others—quickly performed deep bows and were about to say some flattering words when they heard Bai Qingjue continue: “However, since the Yan Regent sent you three for peace talks, he must have informed you of this matter, so you can certainly understand.”

“Naturally! Naturally!” the Yan Minister of Revenue quickly responded, sweat beads already forming on his forehead.

Though this Prince Zhongguo of Great Zhou was young, his presence was overwhelming. His voice was gentle and measured—supposedly soothing like a spring breeze—yet it inexplicably created an oppressive feeling.

Bai Qingyan, from behind the screen, seeing the Yan envoys still bowing deeply, felt it was about enough and finally spoke: “Master Ren, it’s been a long time. I trust you’ve been well.”

“Thank you for Your Majesty’s concern. I’ve been doing fairly well.” Ren Shijie responded, then immediately continued: “This time, we three have come to meet the Great Zhou Emperor regarding peace negotiations. Though Prince Xiping’s ambush of Your Majesty was not ordered by our king, Prince Xiping is ultimately a regional prince of our Yan nation. Our king believes… this is Yan’s fault, with no excuse. Therefore, our king sent us here with a state letter, willing to cede territory for peace to compensate Your Great Zhou Majesty somewhat. We hope the Great Zhou Emperor, for the sake of the common people, can stop the weapons and cease the warfare!”

After Ren Shijie finished speaking, the Yan Minister of Revenue quickly stepped forward, holding the state letter high above his head with both hands.

“How interesting!” Bai Jinzhi, now standing beside Bai Qingyan, spoke with a tone of contempt. “Your Yan nation always likes to use the common people as an excuse! When you stabbed us, Great Zhou, in the back, and we had swords at your throats, you came to our Great Zhou saying… it was all the Empress Dowager’s fault, not your emperor wanting to stab us in the back. You asked my eldest sister, for the sake of the common people, to agree to the nation-wagering!”

Bai Jinzhi spread her hands: “This time… your Yan nation secretly ambushed my eldest sister, intending to kill her. You come seeking peace, again saying… this was Prince Xiping acting on his own, your Yan emperor knew nothing about it, asking our Great Zhou to consider the common people! How incompetent must your Yan emperor be to be fooled again and again? Why do these things always happen in your Yan nation, while we in Great Zhou never see incidents where… my eldest sister knows nothing while subordinates privately attack your Yan nation?”

Actually, in her heart, Bai Jinzhi had no particular opinion of Murong Li. Instead, she admired how someone so young, having lost his father, could still shoulder Yan’s heavy burden.

Moreover, when in the capital, Bai Jinzhi had interacted with Murong Li and knew he was someone with vision, ambition, and intelligence.

She spoke this way in front of the Yan envoys only because she had agreed with her seventh brother earlier that they would play the stern roles together…

“Prince Gaoyi’s words are quite reasonable.” Bai Qingjue smiled. “The banner of common people can be used, but with Yan repeatedly acting against the Great Zhou, using the people as an excuse may not be as effective as the first time. Great Zhou… hopes Yan can understand that, rather than hoping to exploit our Great Zhou Emperor’s compassion for the people every time you make mistakes, it would be better for Yan to think more about the people before acting. As the sage said… ‘Possess it in yourself before seeking it in others; do not possess it in yourself before criticizing it in others. What is stored in one’s body without forgiveness cannot be explained to others.”

“Your Majesty’s compassion for the people is evident to all and known by everyone. This is why Yan dares to boldly ask Your Majesty to consider the people!” Ren Shijie reacted quickly, picking up the conversation as soon as Bai Qingjue finished speaking.